George E. Mattegat, Sr, moved to Newtown from Monroe when he was 21 years old. He spent the next 66 years of his life here, before moving to The Villages in Florida in 2014. On January 6, at the age o...
Helen Vengren "Jackie" Reck, 80, of Easton died January 7 at St Vincent's Medical Center. She was the beloved wife of the late Walter M. Reck. Born in Dracut, Mass., on June 17, 1936, she was a daught...
Beverly M. Muehlenbein, 82, of New Milford died January 6, at Danbury Hospital after a brief illness. She was born April 27, 1934, in Neenah, Wis., a daughter of the late Ethel (Sutton) and Alvin Mant...
Nancy Butts Whittemore, 91, of Sandy Hook died January 6, following a brief illness. She was born on November 5, 1925, in Newton, Mass., to Louise (Mirick) and F. Marsena Butts. She was the beloved wi...
George Emil Mattegat, Sr, 87, died January 6 at Leesburgh Hospital in Florida, with his wife and friends at his bedside. He was born in Bridgeport, to Ada and Emil Mattegat, on July 19, 1929. He grew ...
Eleanore Natalie Farrell, 100, a Newtown resident for 53 years, died peacefully at her home on January 6, with her family present. She was the wife of the late Leo P. Farrell, Jr, of Newtown. She was ...
Veronica W. Seavey, 89, of Southbury died at her home January 5. Mrs Seavey was the wife of the late Chester W. Seavey, Sr. She was born in Bridgeport on February 1, 1927, a daughter of the late Clara...
Elsie M. Brennan, 93, died January 3 at a Pittsfield, Maine, hospital. She was born August 7, 1923, in Danbury, a daughter of Estelle (Burgess) and Max Eichorn.
She attended St Peter's School. Mrs Bre...
Renate W. Moss, 76, of Sandy Hook died peacefully January 3 at Danbury Hospital, surrounded by family and friends. She was born August 9, 1940, in Landau, Germany, daughter of the late Michael and Wal...
Anne C. Legoza, 94, of Newtown, formerly of Trumbull, beloved wife of the late James S. Legoza, died peacefully December 27 at Maplewood at Newtown. Born in Norwalk, the daughter of the late Florence ...
To be clear, this letter was also from Jordana Bloom. The Bee did not want to put all three names on the letter for space reasons, but all three of us sent this letter as well as our thanks to the voters for trusting us to continue the work.
I’m honestly confused by the objection to “cut-throughs.” Newtown is full of them, and they’re used every day without issue. Some of the more well-known examples are Elm Drive, Oakview, School House Hill, Pearl Street, Head of Meadow, Country Club Road, Point of Rocks, Hall Lane, Tinkerfield - Old Taunton Press, and Samp Road. I’m sure I’m even missing a few.
Given that, it’s hard to understand why this particular development is being singled out. Cut-throughs are a normal and longstanding part of how traffic moves in town. If they’re acceptable everywhere else — including roads that are narrower, steeper, or more heavily used — it seems inconsistent to suddenly treat this one as a crisis.
I want to clarify that the attorney at last week’s Planning & Zoning meeting was not threatening the commission, but explaining how the law works. The reality is that if we do not reach a compromise, 100% there will be lawsuits — it’s not a matter of intimidation, it’s a matter of legal process.
We all want smart growth and a Newtown that welcomes families, but it’s important to approach these conversations with a clear understanding of the legal framework. Recognizing the inevitability of legal challenges when consensus isn’t reached doesn’t undermine local control — it helps ensure that planning decisions are made thoughtfully and proactively.
The recent infighting within the Democratic Party says it all — they can’t even hold their own coalition together. Their failure to get the ACA supplements passed and the embarrassing way they handled the shutdown prove that their so-called “unity” is just for show.
Republicans don’t need to reinvent the wheel here — we just have to stand firm and stay together. When we do, Democrats eventually cave, every time. They talk about democracy, but their party is eating itself from the inside out.
Last week’s elections (blue ripple) might have given them a short-term headline, but that doesn’t change the bigger picture: Americans are tired of chaos, hypocrisy, and performative outrage. Strength and stability win in the long run — and that’s exactly what we bring when we stand united.
